That I Should Rise
by Lona Beth Undorina
Summary: The Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady: Two people with a common goal, an undying love, and a never-ending curse.  AU
1. Prologue

_**That I Should Rise**_

**Prologue**

_"Gran-gran," said young Kanla, "will you tell me a story?" Her big blue eyes were wide with excitement and her hair fell out of place as she moved around._

_Laughing, Kanla's grandmother said "Of course. But first, you must sit down and stay still."_

_Kanla sat herself down on the floor, listening to the story her grandmother told:_

_"The legend of the Painted Lady and Blue Spirit started with a common goal shared by two people. Two people who aspired to bring justice to where it was needed, and healing to those who were ill. They helped whoever was in need and fought the oppressive Fire Nation._

_They went by the names of the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit..._"

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><p>"Arrest them!"<p>

The voice of a soldier cried as the Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady ran through the dark streets of the sleeping Fire Nation town. Soldiers were chasing them as they weaved through the buildings.

"Hurry!" The Blue Spirit said to his partner as they scaled the wall of a building. He was not surprised to see that despite her long dress, the Painted Lady had no trouble scaling the wall. They reached the roof of the building and ran to the other side. They looked back momentarily to see that the wall had not hindered the soldiers and they could see theirs helmets rising over the edge.

They reached the ledge of the roof when it began to rain. Looking around for any other buildings, they realized that there wasn't any other direction to go but down. The soldiers were approaching fast and they knew time was running out. The Blue Spirit turned around and a jet of fire was unleashed from his hand. It stopped the soldiers, but only for seconds.

"Run!" The Blue Spirit yelled to his companion, but she grabbed his hand and jumped off the side of the roof, taking him with her. The guards on the roof stopped, dumbfounded by the actions of the Painted Lady.

The Blue Spirit desperately tried not to panic as he fell off of the three-story building. But then the feeling of air rushing passed slowed down and the sensation of floating arose in its place. He looked down to see a plane of water below his feet, slowly lowering him and the Painted Lady to the ground.

This was one of the many advantages to working with a Waterbender.

They gently landed in the alley. The moment their feet touched, they broke into a a run.

Shouts could be heard again, this time coming from a different direction. Voices were coming from the street, and the Blue Spirit did not feel like waiting to see who owned the voices.

They ran through many more streets and weaved through many more alleyways before they finally lost the Fire Nation soldiers.

Leaning against the wall of a building, the two caught their breath, hearts pounding and adrenaline still rushing.

The Painted Lady took deep breath. "That was close."

The Blue Spirit nodded in agreement, the mask constantly smiling. He pointed down towards to a door that led into a building. The Painted Lady looked at the door and then back at her partner. "I know," she said. "The landlady doesn't know I even left. Besides, I'm not ready to stop just yet. We could get so much more done tonight!"

The Blue Spirit replied with shaking his head.

"Why not?" The Painted Lady hissed frustratingly. She pushed herself off the wall. "You saw how the town is! They're sick and they need help!"

"Not tonight!" The Blue Spirit's muffled voice said. "We risked too much already with us being seen! We have to give it a couple of days."

The Painted Lady fell silent, the veil from her hat covering her painted face. "Fine. Three days, that's all I'll wait."

A noise came from the street. The two benders pressed themselves against the building wall, staying silent. A cat came into view from the alley opening and then stalked off, it's tail swishing back and forth.

"Stupid cat," The Blue Spirit muttered as he looked down the alley, his words barely discernible behind the mask. He turned back to the Painted Lady. "Be careful, 'Katara."

"I always am Zuko," she replied with a small smile.

Zuko turned himself so that his back was facing the alley opening. Sliding off his mask, he quickly kissed Katara on the check and then put the devilish mask back on.

"Be safe," Katara whispered as the Blue Spirit walked out of the alley and into the night.

Turning towards the door, Katara slipped in quietly, hoping not to wake her landlady...

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><p><em><strong>Author's Notes<strong>_ **- Well? What did you think? Review, review, review! I do have a plan for this story, believe it or not. I know it's a short first chapter, but it will have to do...**


	2. Chapter One

**A.N.~ And we're back in the game! Just for those that didn't catch the correction in the info box thing-a-ma-jig, this is AU. Majorly AU. It's so AU, I don't even know if I'll bring in all the regular characters, save for mentions.**

**That I Should Rise**

_**Chapter One**_

"_Why were they being chased, Gran-gran?" Kanla asked._  
><em>"Hush. I will tell you."<em>

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><p>Katara waited until the second day before she met up with Zuko. She was more cautious than she normally was, in case either she or Zuko were being watched. As she walked throught the streets, she occasionally would glance back surreptitiously to see if she was being followed. Seeing that she was not being followed, or as far as she could tell, she quit weaving through streets and made her way to her meeting place with Zuko.<p>

She arrived at a tea-shop named the Golden Dragon and walked through the door. There in the back watching the door with his back against the wall was Zuko. The left side of his face was partially hidden in the shadows, hiding the scar that stretched across his left eye. Slowly making her way across, Katara sat herself next to Zuko at the table, facing herself so that she had a clear view of the entryway as well.  
>"No, I wasn't followed," Katara said. Zuko raised an eyebrow. "I know you were thinking about it."<br>"I wasn't," Zuko replied.  
>"You were."<br>Zuko replied by staring back at the entrance.  
>"Stop worrying," Katara said. She put her hand on his arm. "This place is safe."<br>"That's what we said last time. You almost got killed. And to add to that, we almost were put in prison." Katara noticed that Zuko was going in to on of his rants. "How am I supposed to keep you safe, do my job and not get caught at the same time? Last night was way too close - They could have caught us and then you -"  
>By now, Katara had repeated Zuko's name for the fifth time, each time increasing with volume. "ZUKO." she said sternly. The firebender snapped out of his rant and looked at the waterbender. At that moment, a waitress walked up to their table and asked for their order. Katara quickly told her two orders of tea and the waitress left quickly, obviously not wanting to be near what appeared to be a lovers' quarrel. When Katara turned back to Zuko, his elbows were on the table with his head in his hands. She put her hand on his shoulder. "We'll be fine."<br>"I think we need to leave," Zuko said.  
>"What?"<br>"We need to leave this town. We can come back in a year or so, but right now the streets are crawling with soldiers. Soldiers who are looking for the two fugitives from last night."  
>Katara looked at him with a look of disbelief.<br>"If we get caught, who will take up our job."  
>"Aang and Toph could."<br>"Aang and Toph are still children," Zuko said.  
>"We were kids when we started," countered Katara.<p>

"They argue non-stop."  
>"What the hell are we doing right now?"<br>Smirking, Zuko looked away from Katara. "Are you sure this place is safe?"  
>"Yes. I know the owner, she's a friend from years past."<p>

Zuko looked back at Katara. "You didn't want to tell me this piece of information earlier why?"  
>"There was no need to. Now," Katara's voice dropped in volume significantly, "where are we going to strike next? I heard the the Fire Lord is coming to the city."<br>Katara could tell that Zuko knew what she was thinking and she wasn't surprised by his reaction. "NO!" he said with alarm. "We are not doing that."  
>"But we need to do something. Half the population here is starving, we can't leave yet! They need our help, Zuko. It's not like you turn away from those who needs help." Katara looked at her partner with pleading eyes. "They need our help," she repeated quietly.<br>Zuko looked at Katara, then looked away, then looked back at her. Katara could sense that he was at war with himself, as he often was. She knew he wanted to help people, but he also didn't want her or him caught by the Fire Lord or anyone chasing them.  
>After several moments, Zuko finally turned to her. "Fine," he said with a resigned tone. "We'll help them. But there is NO way we are going against the Fire Lord."<p>

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><p><strong>A.N.~<strong> **REVIEW!**


	3. Chapter Two

**Enjoy! Check the Author's Notes on the bottom for a couple of things.**

**Also, REVIEW! They fuel me with the ambition to write. If I don't get a couple of reviews, it may be a while till the next chapter... Unless - you guys don't want another chapter. **

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><p><strong>That I Should Rise<br>Chapter Two**

Zuko was starting to question Katara's sanity. He definitely understood her desire to help people, especially those oppressed by the Fire Nation. But this was definitely one of her more hair-brained schemes - He was almost ready to tell her that they really couldn't do this. While Katara may be stubborn and opinionated, he knew she would follow him without a doubt. Just like he would follow her with no second thoughts.  
>He loved her for that. But as for now, he was sure she'd gone off the deep end.<br>The Blue Spirit adjusted the mask on his face. The night air was hot and the blue demon masked itched against his face. It was another one of those moments where he wished he wasn't wearing the mask.  
>He and Katara had agreed on to raid on of the Fire Nation police barracks - they would take their food and then give it to the needy. He considered this a better (much better) alternative to what Katara had initially proposed, which was to strike the Fire Lord directly. She was sympathetic with the rebels that were hiding the Earth Kingdom, but Zuko quickly shut the idea down.<br>So, in the hot summer night, the Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady made their way through the Fire Nation town's streets. The bag strapped to Zuko's back was light. By the end of the night it would be full of food to give to the starved. Up ahead, he could see Katara make her way through the alley scouting ahead. Her dress billowed as she walked quickly, but quietly. A cat meowed in the distance, but the duo payed no attention to the noise. They were quickly approaching the barracks.  
>They reached the end of the alley. Across the quiet street was the barracks; it's inhabitants asleep. Not a single light was lit. Standing next to the Painted Lady, the Blue Spirit glanced at her and nodded, his mask ever unchanging. They walked across the street standing tall. If anyone were to see them, they might not know what to do. At least, that's what the two benders hoped.<br>Opening the front door with practiced silence, Zuko and Katara made their way through the front hall quietly. Knowing the general layout of Fire Nation barracks, Zuko lead the way through the building to the kitchen and pantry. They found the kitchen quickly and Katara quickly opened a sack cloth that she had produced from the folds of her dress and she started grabbing the food that was in her reach and putting it in the sack. Zuko went in search of the meat freezer. Usually, Firebenders would cook their meat quickly after killing it. But in case of surplus, there was always the freezer, which always would keep the meat fresh.  
>Zuko quickly found the freezer and grabbed multiple cases of meat. He then walked back to Katara, who had filled the bag almost full. As quickly as they entered, they left. Katara led the way this time. Although the kitchen was in the far back of the building, they made their through the hallways astonishingly fast.<br>The job seemed to being moving without a hitch. That was until one of the sleeping guards stepped out into the hallway, in need of the bathroom. The Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady froze. While they had gone over the details of their heist with care, one of the guards waking up is something they did not think would likely happen.  
>They were wrong.<br>The guard, in his Fire Nation issued pajamas, rubbed the sleep from his eyes and started walking in their direction. He then saw the two intruders and froze as well. Zuko's hand went straight to the sword on his side.  
>"Hey!" he blurted out, still groggy. But then his mind processed what was going on, and he realized that the two people were not friends. Before the guards could say another word, Katara and Zuko plowed him over and ran down the rest of the hallway. They could hear the fallen guard yelling for his sleeping comrades to wake up.<br>"Drop it!" Zuko said quickly behind his mask and Katara understood him immediately. They dropped their bags of stolen food and ran across the street into the alleyway. They could still hear the shouting coming from the barracks and Zuko realized that it would not be long before they were followed.

It was also at this moment that Zuko had the thought to tell Katara the ever so famous line "I told you so". But one wide-eyed look from Katara told him that now was not the time. They continued running.

It wasn't long until the sound of running and voices was hearbehind them. Turning a corner, Zuko and Katara made their way through the streets. Theyou weren't far from the Golden Dragon, maybe they could hide there. If Katara knew the owner, maybe she could help.

They stopped running for a moment to catch their breath. They pressed themselves against the wall, hiding in the shadows. Zuko's mask was sweaty and starting to slip off. "Katara," Zulieve said quickly, "Do you think that your friend at the tea shop will help?"

Before Katara could answer him, they had to start running again. Katara was ahead of him, but she looked back at him and quickly said "Yes".

They changed their direction slightly and made their way to the Golden Dragon.

Their pursuers still behind them by a distance, the two vigilantes saw the building where the Golden Dragon was. They circled around to the back and Katara knocked on the door furiously.

The door was opened by a woman in her mid-twenties, maybe a little older than Katara. She possessed the general Fire Nation features but she had intense green eyes. "What do you want?"She said briskly.

"Sola, it's me, Katara." Katara removed her hat and veil. Recognition appeared on the shop owner's face. "Can we come in? It's rather urgent."

Sola glanced at Zuko, who was standing behind Katara. Her eyes scanned over him, and he could tell she was skeptical at what she saw. He didn't blame her - He was sweaty, breathing hard and wearing a blue demon mask. But Sola surprised him when she turned back to Katara and said "Of course."

The two followed Sola into the small room. In it was a matress against a wall and small table was next to it. On the other side of the room was the means of a small cooking area, complete with a fire place.

After locking the door behind the, Sola directed her guests to two chairs.. "Now," she said as she closed the curtains. "You want to tell me what's going on, or do I have to figure it out for myself?"

Katara glanced at Zuko. Her face was silently asking for his consent to tell Sola. Zuko didn't take the mask off, but he nodded his head. If Katara trusted Sola, then, by association, he would have to as well.

Katara took a breath. "We were being chased by Fire Nation soldiers," she said in a quiet voice. Her blue eyes were staring at Sola. "And we can't exactly be found by them." Zuko restrained himself from smacking his forehead with his hand.

"Katara, I'm known around here by the people for being a part of the original rebels. It's not safe here. And don't think that I'm stupid. What's going on?"

"Not in the way that you think - We're helping people..."

Sola looked hard at Katara and Zuko. "You're the Painted Lady," she realized. She then turned to Zuko, "And you have to be the Blue Spirit."

Zuko sighed. He untied the strings that held his mask together and removed it. "You got that right." He looked up. "I'm Zuko." If Sola reacted when she saw his scar, he didn't see it. Most people, when first meeting him, would stare and then assure him that they never were staring in the first place.

"Why are you doing this?" Sola turned back to Katara.

"People need our help. You've seen firsthand what the Fire Nation has done," the waterbender replied. "What we're doing in no more drastic than what the rebels are doing." Sola raised an eyebrow. Outside, Zuko could hear the soldiers voices. They sounded close. Moving quickly, Zuko blew out the candle on the table. Pulling Katara off of her chair, he dragged her under the table. But Katara tripped on her skirt landed hard on the floor, bringing her chair down with her with a loud crash. Silently cursing, Zuko dragged Katara the rest of the way. Sola seemed to catch what Zuko was doing and she put the chairs back in their spots, blocking the two under the table from view.

"You okay?" He whispered when they were under the table.

"Yeah," Katara said. She stop speaking right when a loud knock sounded. With moonlight filtering in above the curtains, Zuko saw Sola glance at him and Katara under the table. Slowly, she yawned and then walked to the door . "Who is it?" she said through the closed door.

A rough voice was heard out from outside. "His Majesty's infantry. Open up!"

Sola unlocked and opened the door and the moonlight spilled in."Can I help you, sir? She asked, sounding afraid and groggy at the same time.

"We're looking for two criminals and we believe that they have passed through on your street. They are dressed up in costumes, have you seen them?" The soldier that was speaking was demanding, Zuko could hear it in his voice.

Sola gapsed. "Criminals! No, sir. I was just asleep a moment ago. What did they do?"

"Did you see them?" The soldier repeated.

"No, sir."

With the light coming through the door, Zuko could see the soldier and his abstract armor. Well, at least the lower half of him - the table blocked some of his view. He saw the soldier move Sola to the side and he took a step into the room. Zuko's hand curled around his sword and his body tensed up. He would attack the soldier if he came in any farther into the room. But Zuko didn't need to attack, as quickly as the solider entered the room, he left.

"If you see or hear anything about these prisoners, you will report it to the barracks immediately," Zuko heard him say.

Sola closed the door. "They're gone," she said.

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><p>Zuko and Katara soon left after the soldiers had knocked on Sola's door. At the house where Katara was staying, they parted ways, too exhausted to say more than "Good bye".<p>

As soon as Zuko reached his room at the inn, he removed his mask and shirt, stashing them under his bed and collapsed onto the mattress, instantly falling asleep.

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><p>"WAKE UP!" Zuko was shaken awake. He opened his eyes and saw a frantic Katara hovering over him. She was breathing heavily as if she had ran all the way to the inn. "Wake up!" she repeated.<p>

Zuko blinked. "What's going on?" He said sleepily.

"They found us, Zuko," she said. "They coming for us right now."

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><p><strong>A.N.~ DUN DUN DUN... Reviews would be awesome guys. I'm really excited about this. It's kind of inspired by a line from a song and the movie Lady Hawke. I probably should have mentioned it in the first chapter, but I was just too excited then.<strong> :)


	4. Chapter Three

**That I Should Rise**

**Chapter Three**

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><p>As soon as Zuko sprang out of his bed he grabbed his shirt from under the bed. "How did they find us," he growled as he wrestled the shirt on. His hair was sticking up all over and he pulled the hood that covered his hair and haphazardly put the mask over his face. "Did Sola tell them which way we went?"<br>Katara shook her head. "She never would." Zuko noticed that she was already wearing her skirt and her veiled hat, but instead of the red dress, she wore red pants. They really must be in trouble if she didn't wear her skirt to avoid the slight chance of tripping over it.  
>"Well then why are there soliders coming for us?" Zuko's head turned to the door as he heard banging on the door downstairs.. "We gotta get out of here." He walked over to where there was a window and he pushed the shutters aside. The roof of the porch was just under his window and with ease, both he and Katara escaped the room just as they heard the innkeeper talking and directing the soldiers to his room. He closed the shutters behind them and together they walked along the porch roof carefully in the morning sun.<br>Katara crouched down and then lowered herself on to the ground, slipping in to the shadows of the building. Zuko followed her and then led her down the alley way.  
>"If Sola didn't tell them where we went, who did?" Zuko asked. He knew Katara wouldn't be able to answer - Aside from last night with Sola, they always tried to maintain as little contact with strangers as possible.<br>"Maybe somebody followed us," Katara said as they ran through the town, keeping to the shadows. "It's entirely possible."  
>Zuko didn't reply.<br>They kept running. It seemed like almost every turn they took, there were Fire Nation soldiers standing in the street, obviously looking for them. It seemed as if the whole town was on the lookout for the Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady.  
>"We need to hide," Katara said.<br>The moved quickly into the shadows once again as a group of soldiers walked past on the street.  
>Zuko racked his brain for a place to hide... It would need to be someplace seldom visited. A place they would never expect. Like an abandoned building or...<br>The barracks.  
>It would be deadly if they were caught, but who would expect them to hide there?<p>

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><p>"This has got to be the <em>stupidest <em>idea that you've ever had," Katara grumbled as they slinked through the halls of the barracks.  
>"While you please be quiet? They'll hear you," Zuko shot back. "We just need to find a way into the attic."<br>"How are you even sure that they have an attic?"  
>"All Fire Nation barracks have a attic," Zuko said in a knowing tone.<br>"How do you know that?" Zuko shot her a look. Anxiety blocked out recall and he seriously hoped that this was the case. How could she forget that he served in the military once?  
>"Oh, right," Katara said sheepishly. She looked away from him, her veiling float in the air as she looked down the hall way.<br>"Let's go," Zuko took her hand. "I think it I know where it is." They quietly made their way through the hallway. They came upon an empty room furnished with only a wooden table and two chairs. But the most important thing in the room was a string hanging from the ceiling, attached to a trapdoor.  
>Zuko refused to let out a sigh of relief, but he couldn't but feeling so. He pulled on the string and the collapsible ladder slowly unfolded itself. "Let's go," Zuko said as he motioned for Katara to go first. She quickly made her way up the ladder and Zuko followed suit, lifting the ladder up behind him.<br>The attic was located in the eaves of the building, which gave Zuko and Katara a long, but very narrow and short space to hide. Katara set herself on a crate and pulled her hat off.  
>"This is insane."<br>Zuko said nothing as he placed a crate on top of the traop door and sat down on it. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. The adrenaline running through his body was wearing off and he could feel a headache rising. "We should wait 'till night fall for when we get out of here," he said.  
>Katara nodded. "Are you hurt at all?" she asked.<br>Zuko shook his head. "And if I was, where would there be any water? You forgot your waterskin."  
>Katara shrugged. Silence fell. After a long time, Zuko noticed that Katara had fallen asleep while sitting up straight. Smiling, he gathered her into his arms and carried her (while trying to avoid hitting his head on the slanted ceiling) and lowered her onto a pile of flour sacks. Sitting himself down on the floor next to her, he kept watch.<p>

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><p>BANG.<br>BANG.  
>BANG.<br>Zuko woke with start. When the heck did he fall asleep? The bang noise continued and he looked over to see Katara's eyes wide open. He then turned his eyes towards the place where the noise was coming from.  
>The trapdoor.<br>"Blast," Zuko muttered as he stealthily made his way over to the trap door. The box that he had put there was doing a small job of holding the trapdoor. It wouldn't be long until whoever was trying to get in, most likely Fire Nation soldiers, achieved their goal.  
>"What's going on?" Katara asked as she put her hat and veil on.<br>"Someone's trying to get in," Zuko whispered. Already he could hear the wooden door creaking and cracking. "We don't have long."  
>Katara's hair and veil whipped around as she looked for an exit. She turned back to Zuko. "Can you make a hole in the roof?"<br>They didn't need answer - A hissing sound began and fumes began to seep into the attic. They were being gassed. The could have mere minutes before they passed out. Zuko could already seeing its effect on Katara. Her face had paled considerably.  
>"Come on!" Zuko covered his nose and hand with his mouth and pulled Katara towards the end wall. Momentarily letting go of her hand, he shot a fireball from his hand, decimating the end wall. They jumped through the roof with disregard for the possible drop from such a height.<br>Thankfully, the building was low enough that the fall wasn't something they were unaccustomed to. They softened the impact by rolling. Well, Zuko did. Katara tried to roll to absorb the impact, but she flopped. Zuko thought the gas must have really affected Katara since she normally was one to be able to handle such gymnastics with grace.  
>Hurrying over to Katara, Zuko helped her up. He could hear voices. They must have landed in a garden or something. He looked to the building, seeing that there was a door that led to where they were. No doubt soldiers will be rushing through there in a moment.<br>"C'mon," Zuko muttered. Katara righted herself and followed Zuko as he sprinted away from the building. They ran through more of the land behind the barracks. Most Fire Nation barracks possessed a garden, stables, and a training area. Maybe if they could get to the stables, they could steal some horses. He grabbed Katara's hand - Agni, it was cold - and changed course to where he suspected the stables were.  
>They ran behind a shed and paused. He could smell the horses already. Checking that the coast was clear, they ran out.<br>"Ooof!" Zuko felt Katara's hand slip out from his grasp, which he then heard a muffled yell. Turning quickly, he saw Katara standing up straight with a sword to her throat. She a brave face, but Zuko knew she was shaking. A solider had her in his grasp and looked at Zuko menacingly. How had he snuck up on them with their knowing?  
>"Don't move, or she dies," the soldier growled. Several other men arrived, swords drawn and arrows ready to fire. One particularly ugly fellow stood in front of them all, clearly the man in charge. Somebody grabbed Zuko from behind and pinned his arms behind his back. They were surrounded.<br>"You're under arrest for treason against the supreme Fire Lord Ozai," the man sneered. Turning away from Zuko, he pointed to a soldier standing next to him, young looking man with wide eyes. "Bring them to the capitol, the Fire Lord wants deal with them personally."  
>Zuko lost it. With a yell, he tried to get free and he blew a jet of fire from his mouth. He managed to shake off the man holding him, but he then felt a blunt object hit him from behind and his vision started going black. The last thing he saw was Katara falling to the ground as well.<p>

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><p>His head throbbed. What had they hit him with, a boulder? He tried to bring his hands to his face, but he found that they were tied behind his back and that he was laying on his side. Why was the room rocking side to side as well? Where was he?<br>"Zuko?" a voice said and he slowly turned his pounding head to see Katara - At least he hoped it was Katara, the lighting wherever he was was horrible.  
>"'Tara?" he mumbled. Why was he speaking like that?<br>"Oh thank La," he heard he say, relief washing over he voice. "I assume your head hurts?"  
>Zuko mumbled an affirmative. Why was everything still fuzzy?<br>He heard Katara shift and he felt he beside him. "They gave us a drug to suppress our bending, although I suspect they gave you a higher dosage. If your brain is still foggy, that may be why."  
>"Where...where are we going?" Zuko asked slowly.<br>Katara sighed. "They're taking us to the capitol to... to see the Fire Lord."  
>Zuko's heart stopped.<br>They were going to die.

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><p>Eventually both Zuko and Katara drifted off to sleep. He earlier found out that they were in a prisoner transport or, to be more technical, a wagon with walls and a door with a lock. Zuko's sleep was plagued with visions from the most random events in his life, as if he was seeing his life flash before his eyes, but with a torturous concentration on the pain and suffering in his life.<br>He was removed from such visions when light flooded into the wagon, revealing two figures with ridiculous heads... Zuko quickly realized that they were indeed Fire Nation soldiers in full armor, ready to take him to his death.  
>Katara looked at the men with an icy cold look. Zuko was sure that she would kill them if given the chance.<br>One if them grabbed Zuko roughly by the upper arm, dragging him onto the the ground. The second did the same to Katara, and not without calling her 'Watertribe scum'. Zuko felt his anger swell up when he heard him. But his attention was quickly brought to the enormous building in front of him. A whole squad of guards circled the two benders as they were moved up the stairs and into the the Fire Palace, home to Fire Lord Ozai.

And soon to be home to Zuko's dead body.

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><p><strong>A.N.~ Well? I desire reviews, good, bad, and ugly. ;) School has me by the throat, so leave me a bunch so I know how you guys like it - It seriously helps me write better!<strong>

**LBU**


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